Jack Byrne vows to clean up his act

Kidderminster Harriers midfielder Jack Byrne has vowed to clean up his act next season after claiming 'I am no bad boy.'

Byrne will sit out the first four games of next season after being sent off in the penultimate game of 2010-11 at Rushden & Diamonds, his third red card of the campaign.

The last was for violent conduct but the first two, at Southport in October and Darlington in February, came as straight dismissals for what was percieved to be dangeous tackles.

But that hasn't stopped the 23-year-old landing a new deal to keep him at Aggborough for another season, or being called up to the England C team for the International Challenge Trophy final.

Team-mates Lee Vaughan and Matthew Blair join him in the squad for Thursday's game against Portugal at Northampton's Sixfields Stadium, while his club manager Steve Burr will be in the dugout as assistant to national boss Paul Fairclough.

And Byrne is sure to relish the chance of match action with an enforced break to come at the start of next season.

He said: "I am not that sort of player, that's the thing that is most frustrating about it all. I am not a nasty player, I don't set out to hurt anyone and I look to play the game in a fair way.

"I do like a tackle and I don't think you can ever take that away from your game, if you do you are not the same sort of player.

"At Rushden I was sent off for squaring up to a group of players, but the two others were both tackles where I was surprised to get a red card, but that's the modern game.

"Those two I could, looking back, could probably understand because they were a little bit late, but I wouldn't go as far as to say they were red cards.

"I think you learn from your mistakes and situations - when to make a tackle, when not to make a tackle and how to execute it properly.

"The gaffer has been supportive but he pulled me back and said 'look, you have got to watch what you are doing from now on, because people will target you.'

"I have sort of killed myself for the first four games of next season, but I will learn from my mistakes."